The most convenient way to get from Sofia Airport to the city center is by car. If you are planning to travel around Sofia or all of Bulgaria, renting a car will be your best choice. Smooth Bulgarian roads and inexpensive gasoline make any trip comfortable and affordable.
You can rent a car directly at Sofia Airport. It is better to make your reservation in advance: this will provide a wide selection of cars of different classes and save money. You can select a suitable car and place an order using the form below.
Airport information
Info |
Data |
|---|---|
IATA code |
Sofia SOF |
Airport information desk |
|
Airport email |
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Cheap flights |
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Closest airports to Sofia SOF |
Plovdiv PDV – 165 km, 1 hour 56 min.Burgas BOJ – 387 км, 4 ч. 10 мин. Varna VAR – 431 км, 5 ч. 12 мин. |
Location |
42.693449249573106, 23.407742823792532 Open in Google Maps
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Local time |
Local time: +2 GMT |
Language |
Bulgarian, English. |
Currency |
BGN – LV (Bulgarian Lev) |
Average rental prices
The cost of renting a car in the capital of Bulgaria depends on the time of year. Renting a car is most expensive during the summer holiday season, which lasts from May to September. The highest prices are from July to August: during these months, renting an economy class car will cost 30 – 50 euros per day.
Car classes |
Price per day |
Deposit amount |
|---|---|---|
compact cars |
from 6 EUR (12 BGN) |
from 150 euros |
small cars |
from 18 EUR (36 BGN) |
from 150 euros |
standard |
from 20 EUR (40 BGN) |
from 200 euros |
minivan |
from 26 EUR (52 BGN) |
from 300 euros |
SUVs |
from 35 EUR (70 BGN) |
from 800 euros |
luxury |
from 60 EUR (120 BGN) |
from 1500 euros |
*Prices are valid for November 2024. Check the available cars in the city and review the offers from rental offices.
Car rental points are located in the arrivals halls. Top Rent A Car offices in terminals 1 and 2 in Letishte Sofia operate 24 hours a day. You can rent a car even without early booking, but in this case the availability of inexpensive cars is not guaranteed.
When picking up a car at the airport, there is a risk of changes in the arrival schedule. If your flight is delayed, please notify the company staff.
The cost of a rental car depends on its class: the more spacious and powerful the car, the higher the price. The cheapest cars are small economy class cars with a manual transmission, such as the Citroen C3 or Volkswagen Polo. For a car with an automatic transmission you will have to pay a little more. Moreover, even in economy class cars, standard equipment includes air conditioning, and in some cases, a built-in GPS navigator.
When renting a car, you need to remember about the deposit – the amount that is blocked on the card until the car is returned. If the car does not receive any damage, the deposit is returned in full. The size of the deposit depends on the class of car. The minimum deposit amount is 150 euros for an economy class car.
How to choose a car?
Travelers |
Car body |
Transmission |
|---|---|---|
Two people |
coupe, compact sedan or hatchback |
Manual |
A loner |
coupe, sedan, hatchback |
Automatic, Manual |
Company of 2-4 people |
full-size sedan, station wagon or hatchback |
Automatic |
Company of 5-7 people |
minivan |
Automatic |
Family 3-4 people |
full-size sedan, station wagon or hatchback |
Manual |
Goals and routes |
Transmission |
Engine capacity |
Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
Short trips around the city |
автомат |
1.1-1.6 liters |
In the city there will be enough coupe, sedan or hatchback with an automatic transmission with a small engine capacity. |
To sights off-road |
automatic, manual |
1.6-2 liters |
To overcome ups and downs, it is preferable to choose a car with high ground clearance and not the smallest engine. |
To other cities along the highway |
machine |
2-3 liters |
To save on gas stations and comfort when overtaking, it is better to take a diesel car with a powerful engine. |
Car rental companies at Sofia Airport
Top Rent-a-Car – National rental company of Bulgaria. The best prices and new cars with minimal mileage, usually up to 50,000 km. Still remains a leader in quality and comfort of services.
Discover Cars – World Travel Awards winning car rental comparison site. Customers can find, compare and rent a car in Bulgaria. Competitive prices at over 10,000 locations worldwide.
EconomyBookings – International booking service for economical car rental. Large selection of cars, more than 20,000 rental points, 150 countries. 24/7 reservation and support service.
Rentalcars – World leader in online car booking. Rentalcars is part of the American company Priceline, which also includes Booking.com.
Localrent – Car rental broker in local rental companies. Low prices, low deposits: from 0 to 300 euros. Manual confirmation of the selected vehicle option.
BikesBooking – Online booking service for motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and bicycles around the world.
GetrentaCar – Marketplace for renting vehicles from local owners at the best prices. Competitive prices in Bulgaria, best price guarantee, tender system. 24/7 support in 20 languages. Prepayment is only 15%.
Important: The longer the rental period, the lower the daily rate. For example, at the beginning of August, an economy-class car rented for 1 day will cost 45–50 euros. If you rent the same car for 7 days, the price will drop to 30–35 euros per day. The savings will be more noticeable during the low season.
How to rent a car at the airport
Early booking online allows you to pick up a car at Sofia Airport (Letishte Sofia) in less than 15 minutes. To save time, use the Top Xpress service when making a reservation online. In this case, the contract with passport data and driver’s license number will be prepared in advance, so registration of the car will take a matter of minutes.
For rent a car:
- Approach the rental station in the waiting room.
- Show the company employee your voucher (you can open it on your smartphone or tablet).
- After signing the contract, you will need to make a deposit by card or cash. Receive a check confirming the blocked amount, as well as a copy of the agreement.
At the airport parking lot, the car will be inspected and all existing damage will be recorded. It is best to inspect the car in person and make sure that the employees have correctly indicated all the shortcomings.
Requirements for drivers for rental
The age of the driver is important when renting a car. Rental companies are trying to reduce the number of too young or elderly clients in order to avoid unnecessary risks. Typically, the acceptable driver age is between 21 and 65 years old, but the rules may vary from company to company.
Any driver can get a car rental directly at Sofia airport from Top Rent A Car. But the basic tariff is valid only if 2 conditions are met:
- age – from 23 years;
- driving experience – from 3 years.
Drivers with less experience or age can rent a car by paying a “Young Driver” fee of 6 euros per day. There may be restrictions on the class of car – for example, an SUV can only be rented if you are 25 years old and have at least 5 years of experience. In addition, the young driver will have to leave a double deposit.
Required documents
To use rental services at Sofia Airport, the renter will need a passport and driver’s license.
In addition, it is advisable to have a credit or debit card on which the security deposit will be frozen for the duration of the car rental. By prior agreement, you can leave the deposit in cash, but in this case its amount will be doubled.
Important: The documents and bank card must be valid until the end of the rental period! Please check this before booking with the card.
Cities near Sofia SOF Airport
From the airport to the center of Sofia you can drive in 15 minutes, which is about 11 kilometers.
Return of the rental car and deposit
By renting a car at Sofia airport, you are not tied to a specific return point. For your convenience, we offer delivery and accept cars anywhere.
At the end of the trip the following return options are available:
- return by car to Sofia Airport;
- return the car to one of the Top Rent A Car offices in the center of Sofia;
- hand over the car to an employee, agreeing on a meeting place anywhere in the city.
In addition, you can create a complex travel route and drop off the car in another city. To do this, select a suitable return location in the car search form when booking. Remember that the rental cost in this case will be higher.
If everything is in order with the car, when you return the keys, the employee will issue a refund of the deposit and issue a confirmation receipt. If the car is damaged, the lessee’s liability will be limited to the amount of the deposit. If you have Full Protection insurance and an accident report, the deposit is returned in full.
